


Cruel Smash

by supershadsy



Series: Limit Breaker [5]
Category: Super Smash Brothers
Genre: Fights, M/M, Rescue
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-27
Updated: 2016-02-27
Packaged: 2018-05-23 11:47:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,404
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6115487
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/supershadsy/pseuds/supershadsy
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Cloud decides to take the Multi-Man smash. Little does he know, the portal is <i>supposed</i> to be down for maintenance. That's probably not a good thing...</p>
            </blockquote>





	Cruel Smash

**Author's Note:**

> I was listening to "Midnight City" by M83 when I came up with the concept of this, so it's probably good listening material!

!! NOTICE !!

_The Assist Trophy room will be OFF-LIMITS for the duration of the day due to repairs._

_The following rooms & portals are also off limits due to proximity: _

_Trophy Rooms “A1-A10”_

_“Multi-Man Smash” portal_

_-Mario_

 

“Samus?” Lucina asked, squared off in front of the bulletin board. “What is this all about?”

In her Zero Suit, she waltzed over beside her, an arm around her waist as she peered at the notice. “Well, well,” she mused. “Looks like ol’ M.H. finally is going to fix that crack in the Assist room.”

“Crack?” she said, leaning into her side.

“You haven’t been down there,” Samus elaborated, making a jagged motion with her finger in front of her. “There’s this huge dimensional crack in the room, and it does...weird things around here. Messes with something.”

“What do you mean?” She blinked up at her, eyes wide and curious.

 “You know how when you fight here, you take ‘damage’, but you don’t actually get hurt?” she said. “There’s some kind of...magic or something here that makes that happen. And the rift in the Assist Room messes with it.”

“Oh.” She tapped a finger to her lip. “I am...not quite sure I understand.”

“It’s not that big of a deal,” Samus assured, squeezing her waist. “Nothing you have to worry about. Just don’t go down there and you’ll be fine.”

“All right.” Lucina pouted a little. “I _did_ want to do some Multi-Man rounds today…”

“I don’t think so,” Samus replied, kissing her head and ruffling her hair. “We can go do something else for today. I wouldn’t want to go in there if something acts up…”

* * *

Cloud held his broad sword in front of his face, breathing deep. _I haven’t tried this drill before,_ he thought, standing on the edge of the battlefield as the white light of the portal closed behind him. _Apparently it’s just an endless string of fighters, and you go until you get knocked out._ He focused on the rise and fall of his chest, the sensation the sword in his gloved hands, the gentle breeze against his face. _It’s a good test for my endurance, which could use a little work._

_Funny, there wasn’t anyone down this end of the portal hallway this morning…_

He opened his eyes, slashing his sword off to the side. _Doesn’t matter._ He resumed a standard fighting stance, sword in both hands. “Let’s do this,” he muttered.

Nearly as soon as he spoke, small figures clad in black dropped down from the sky--some with blaster style guns, other with swords, and some simply with their bare hands as their weapon of choice. Cloud charged ahead and slashed at one; immediately, it flew into the air and exploded in the familiar flash. _This won’t be so bad,_ he thought, laying the side of his blade on the floor and dashing forward. Two of the fighters went flying to the border under his force. _Just have to keep moving, keep fighting--_

_SLASH!_

Behind him, one of the fighters had sliced against his back, and the pain stung through his shirt, sharper than he’d ever remembered it feeling. _“Ghh!”_ he cried, whipping around and hacking at the intruder, sending it away easily. Below him, small droplets of blood painted the ground. _What…? That usually doesn’t happen…_

In his hesitation, he was ambushed by two brawlers, attacking him with a flurry of kicks and punches. He managed to throw out his sword to shield just before he was knocked over completely, but the blows on him--around his stomach and legs--felt more pronounced than before, aching without that familiar, persistent heat. Biting his lip, he threw a kick and a sword strike, freeing himself from the entourage. _Maybe it’s just a new tactic. A handicap to increase resistance. I feel like I’ve got a lot of damage already._ With every slice, dodge, and jab, more of the fighters disappeared, but more kept appearing from the top of the stage, their faces eerily the same, as if they were simply recycled. _Just...keep focused._

_Stay focused…_

* * *

“Nice job out there, man!” Roy exclaimed, clapping Link on the back as they made their way back into the foyer. “Just like old times, huh?”

Link nodded cheerfully with a thumbs up. He raised his arms, mimicking Roy’s back swing, and threw them forward, letting his hands spread out like an explosion. “Hey, hey, yeah! The burning blade has got what it takes, lemme tell you what,” he said, lacing his hands behind his deep red hair. “You aren’t too shabby yourself, you know.”

Link waved his hand, dismissing his comment. He started making signing gestures with his hands, then withdrew, staring at the ground and shaking his head. “Huh? What’s up?” Roy asked, ducking his head a little.

His gestures became more concise--he shook his head, then made a talking motion with one hand, and crossing it out with the other. “Oh, uh…” he started, cocking his head. “Right, you don’t carry that notebook around with you anymore, do you?”

He nodded. “So, you only speak with your...hands, then?” Another nod, then he made a C with his left hand, placing it against his heart. His lips mouthed one word clearly: _“Cloud”._

It took Roy a moment, then he snapped his fingers. _“Ooh,_ I think I get it! I’ve seen you and Cloud doing that whole...hand thing with each other before.” He waggled his fingers in front of his own face.

Link chuckled and nodded, then cocked his head. He made a “V” shape with his fingers and raised them to his eyes, pointed to Roy, and then made the “C” against his chest once again. “Have I seen Cloud today? Nope,” he said. “Should turn up soon, ‘specially if you’re all done.” He winked at him. “You guys are barely ever apart.”

Link flushed, turning away and looking up at the ceiling. In response, Roy jabbed his side and started to wander all around him. “Wow, look at you!” he teased, grinning big. “Before I, er, _left,_ you were all mopey, and now look!” He wrapped an arm around his neck and gave him a noogie, almost knocking his hat off. Link squirmed in his grip, trying to push him away, but ultimately returned the gesture with a one armed hug around his waist.

“Really, bro,” Roy said, the lilt leaving his tone as he addressed him. “I’m glad you’re happy.”

The look on his face said it all, but even so, Link replied, in a voice so quiet even Roy could barely hear it: “Thanks. Me too.”

* * *

Cloud panted as the sky started to fade into the dark wash of blue. _They just won’t stop,_ he thought. All along his pale arms were slashes and cuts, some already purple with bruising. His pants and shirt were torn in various places, some stuck to his skin, caked with blood, and his face was scuffed as well. Every move made his muscles scream and ache, and his swings were becoming more and more delayed. Even directly in front of a gunner, he missed, allowing the fighter to shoot a blast of energy right at his knee.

_“Damn it!”_ he cried, crumbling to the ground as leg throbbed, then suddenly went numb. _Shoot, shoot,_ he panicked, shaking his leg vigorously, trying to will sensation back into it. _Yeah, I never have to deal with this here. Something is wrong._ All of the fighters, five of them now, were lined in front of him, and he tried his best to swat them away, avoid their lifeless eyes while still keeping his aim true. _I hurt, I hurt all over, and I haven’t even been out here...that long._

_Have I?_

Finally, sensation of pins and needles surged through his knee and up his thigh, and he forced himself up, wobbling heavily. _I can’t take another one of those, I won’t be able to walk,_ he thought. Now that he was upright, he could put his hips into his swings, and he sent all five of the opponents into the skybox at once. _There, can I go?_

Five more dropped from all corners of the stage. _No, of course not._

* * *

The first thing Link and Roy noticed when they were fully in the foyer was the commotion. Many of the fighters were surrounding the main TV--Fox and Falco taking their usual positions on the couch, but quite a few others had drawn a crowd. “What’s going on here?” Roy asked, leaning on the back of the largest couch.

“Someone got into the Multi-Man portal,” Fox said. “I thought it was blocked off?”

“It is,” Samus replied, her abrupt, deep tone jumping Link, as she had appeared suddenly to his right. “That whole corridor has been gated off since mid-morning. If someone got in there, they were in early.”

Link wasn’t paying attention to the TV--instead, he was scanning the crowd for the familiar spike of blonde hair. _Not here._ He tapped Samus on the shoulder, and signed a “C” at his chest, while mouthing his name.

“Hm? No, I haven’t seen him today,” she replied, still focused on the TV. “Although…”

The TV’s reception was oddly fuzzy, and Fox got up to whack the side of it a couple times. “Must have to do with the construction going on over there,” he grunted. “Come on--!”

For a split second, the image was crystal clear, and it zoomed in on the fighter’s face. Bright cyan eyes, with a streak of blood running down his pale, pained face.

Link’s pupils dilated, and his breath choked in his chest.

“Hey, isn’t that Cloud?” Roy said, pointing. “Well, if you were lookin’ for him, there he is.”

“He’s not supposed to be in there, though,” Samus pondered. “How’d he get in?”

Link watched as Cloud got kicked right in the stomach, knocking him to the ground, and making him cough. He doubled over on all fours, and he swore he saw blood spittle as he wheezed. Using his sword, he forced himself to his feet, swaying as more of the small, black clad fighters charged at him. Every swing of his sword was accompanied by a pained yell. Link’s palms clenched into fists, his throat burning as he tried to keep his breathing even. _This isn’t right. This isn’t right._

The TV began to fuzz once more. “Something’s wrong,” Samus said, arms crossed. “He should’ve been knocked out ages ago, judging by the damage he’s taken.”

“Nngh…” Link whimpered, drawing attention from both Samus and Roy down to him. _I can’t let him get hurt like that. That’s not how it’s supposed to be._

_I won’t!_

With a shake of his head, he bolted off down the hallway, as fast as his legs could carry him. However, before he could get too far, Samus grabbed him by the elbow. “Hey, _hey!_ Not so fast!” she barked. He tried to wriggle away from her, but her grip was firm. _“Listen,_ I’m coming with you so nothing worse happens, so let me keep up!”

He whipped his head around with a nod, and with the affirmation, she let him go, and they both ran down the hallway, toward the trophy rooms.

* * *

 

_I can’t...I can’t take this…_

Cloud’s vision was beginning to blur as fatigue completely gripped his entire being. Every step he took, blood oozed in his wake, and even his sword was starting to drag. “Please…” he moaned, throwing a blow at another fighter. “Let me…” Another. _“GO!”_

His follow-through stumbled on his last slash, but it was still effective in sending the fighter sky high. _I still...have my power. I can still...fight._

_My body is pushing...pushing…_

He blinked, and Link’s face swam in his mind, bright and smiling. The image of it made him chuckle, a grimace on his grimy, bruised face, and new energy rushed through him. _If this ever ends...maybe...I can see him again._

_Just a little longer…_

He coughed again, the copper taste of blood flooding his taste buds, and swallowed it down. _I have to._

* * *

The room labeled “MULTI-MAN SMASH” was indeed gated, but without any enchantment, as Link and Samus were able to open the door easily after giving it a few shoves. There was a small lobby, similar to the ones in All-Star, except the atmosphere was palpable and swarming. A dim, purple mirage had settled around it, and the portal door was distorted and filled with static. “Damn it,” Samus cursed. “It’s because of that rift from the Assist Room…”

Link struggled to stagger to the portal door. “Don’t, not yet,” she advised, pushing him back and approaching a small control panel by the wall. “Something tells me if you try to go through now, you’ll fall right through…”

He groaned and started to sign, only to notice that she was ignoring him in favor of tweaking the controls. _I don’t want to wait!_ he screamed in his mind. _If I wait too long, he might…_

_He might…_

_(a funeral a funeral a funeral for a fallen hero)_

_No--!_

_(and you weren’t able to save him)_

“Ghh!” he exclaimed in frustration, stomping his foot.

“I know, I know.” Samus’ voice was oddly gentle, even despite her furrowed brow. “We’ll get him back. Wait...maybe this--”

She pressed a couple buttons, and suddenly the portal lit up white. An anguished scream rose from inside, and Link nearly whined in sympathy, frantically looking from the portal to Samus. “There, that should be something,” she said. The miasma cleared somewhat, and she whipped back to a TV screen mounted near the back. “Shit, they’re everywhere.”

Cloud was now completely surrounded by the fighters, nine or ten of them trying to attack him all at once. _Cloud--!_ “You’re not going to be able to get in without a distraction,” she said. “Got any ideas? Some arrows, or magic…”

Link’s fingers shivered at his side, clumsily reaching inside his tunic for the small, blue ocarina. _This was a gift, and I learned to play it,_ he thought, raising it to his lips. _I can barely remember the meanings of some of the songs, but my fingers know them, and...there is one that could help._

His breath hitching, he played a high melody, fingers twirling on the holes:

Before he could even finish, a crack of thunder resounded from the portal. Samus smirked. “That’ll work. Now, go get him. I’ve got your back just in case.”

Link nodded. He drew his bow and readied an arrow before jumping through the door. “I’m coming,” he muttered, as he was engulfed with light.

* * *

_“AAAAAAAGH!”_

Cloud screamed as he fell to his knees, gasping for breath as several fighters swarmed around him, kicking and punching his already weak body. _“Come on!”_ he cried at the sky, tears of frustration running down his face. He could barely see straight, black in the corners and spotting, and his left leg had completely lost sensation. Every time he tried to stand, it gave out beneath him, and when he found balance on his other leg, a fighter would kick at it, sending him back to the ground. _“Just let me go!”_

_“LET ME GO!”_

As if the sky had something to reply, a strike of lightning struck just off the side of the stage, sending a few fighters flying. Clouds gathered, swirling in the sky, and droplets of rain began to fall, in a vain attempt to clean his face. _Rain? On Battlefield…?_

He was right at the edge of the stage, the abyss tempting him at his back, and he forced himself to rise, using his sword as a crutch. The rain soaked through him, chilling him almost instantly as it escalated into a torrential downpour. _If I jump...I can just get knocked out._

_And I can be free._

_(there’s something wrong here)_

_I just want to go…_

_(if you jump you might not come back)_

He clenched his teeth as a swordsman jabbed at his broadsword, and Cloud didn’t even bother to address him, his breath rattling in his chest. “I-I can’t,” he said aloud, head weaving. “Link...where are you...will I…”

_(see you before I die?)_

An arrow flung just past his ear, thwarting the swordsman at his side. He jerked his head up, even though his neck protested, his whole _body_ screeched at him, but it was soon replaced with relief.

Cloud smiled. “L-Link...” he sighed.

His consciousness blacked for a moment, but returned when his body hit the ground, jolting back up. The blueish glint of Link’s sword could be seen across the stage, as he slashed every fighter in his way, making a charge straight for him. Cloud found it hard to stay sitting up, even with his focus on the green of Link’s tunic. The rain soaked him instantly, plastering the hair that wasn’t under his hat to his face, but even through his dim sight, Cloud could tell

that Link would not take his eyes off him.

He reached out for him, hand trembling, and he made an explicit dash for it, lifting him up by it.

Link held him steady, taking his sword from his hands and sheathing it on his back, then he grabbed his head and held it against his own forehead, panting and shuddering in the rain. “Thank Gods,” he murmured, lightly kissing his bloody lips. “Let’s get out of here.”

The sky cracked again, and Link heaved him over his shoulder, balancing him as best as he could before making a mad run back toward the portal door. Cloud’s head lolled against his back, coughing as the downpour threatened to drown him, as well as the blood rushing to his head. The fighters were still coming at him, but before he could see them fully disappear, his eyes closed, and went limp against his shoulder.

* * *

Link burst through in a spray of water, making sure he was all the way across from the portal before he eased Cloud down. Unconscious, he propped him against the wall, making sure his head didn’t drop too far. “Y-you’re okay now,” Link assured quietly, if only for himself.

“Ugh, I can’t close it!” Samus growled, punching buttons. The miasma was beginning to permeate the air again, making it hard to see. “Oh, for fuck’s sake, _fine!”_

Electricity crackled in a brief explosion, and the entire room went dark, except for the control panel, fizzling yellow and blue sparks. “There. Now that’s another thing M.H. can fix while he’s at it. Gods…”

Link felt a hand at his face, and glanced down to see slits of cyan staring back at him. _I always forget...they do_ actually _glow a little. It’s pretty…_ Cloud still had a wheeze in his breath, and he swallowed hard before speaking. “Thanks,” he said. “I don’t know...what happened…”

His eyes were beginning to adjust to the dark, catching the outline of nose, his cheeks, his hair. “This room was off limits today,” Link explained, barely a whisper. “Didn’t you see the notice?”

“What...notice…?” Cloud asked. “I didn’t...see anything…”

Samus’ heels echoed behind them. “Must have been out early,” she commented. “Link, you need to take him to the infirmary, or at least get out of here.” She opened the door, flooding light inside from the hallway. “Until they finish up, it’s not safe here…”

Link nodded at her, still crouched in front of Cloud. She gave him a small smile. “All right, have your moment,” she said, leaving them behind.

Cloud coughed again, doubling over. “I...don’t feel as bad...now that...whatever that was...is gone…”

“You still need to be healed,” Link said, stroking a hand back through his damp hair. “Here.”

He lifted him up, limp and heavy in his arms, not to mention from his damp clothes, and Cloud immediately collapsed in his arms, head on his shoulder. “You saved me,” he murmured into his neck.

A smile crept onto Link’s face. “You’re too reckless,” he replied, embracing him. “But, I’ll always come to save you.”

Without another word, Link adjusted Cloud on him--one arm around his shoulder, the other on his waist, and they slowly made their way out of the dark, defunct lobby. _I always will,_ Link repeated to himself. _No matter what._


End file.
